Blues in the Schools

Winners of the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive in Education, 1999 - (The Blues Foundation represents 105 blues societies from 27 countries)

KBA AWARD

Birthday card for D.C from a Sadler Arts Student, Muskogee.

Bringin' Blues To School

Selby continues the B.I.T.S. work across Okla.

Award winning Blues vocalist, guitar player Shelby Minner, left, accompanied Jim Thorpe Academy’s Garrett McDonald during concert at Jefferson Elementary School.

Award winning Blues vocalist, guitar player Selby Minner, left, accompanied Jim Thorpe Academy’s Garrett McDonald during concert at Jefferson Elementary School. Torrence Bear Cushinberry on drums.

Lori Goat 21.JAN.10. 2010

The students at Jim Thorpe Academy (JTA) were singin’ the blues and lovin’ every minute of it.

On Jan. 14, the children at Jefferson Elementary School were treated during lunchtime to an exclusive concert by JTA students, accompanied by Oklahoma Arts Council’s Blues professional Selby Minner and guitar player/vocalist Jerry Criner, aka Cryout.

“It takes courage to do what these kids have done, especially with less than two weeks of practice,” Minner said.

Eight days of practice, to be exact. During the eight days, a dozen JTA students learned how to perform a dozen songs. JTA students Brad Hill sang a Bob Marley tune, Shawn Budka banged the bongos and sang a Lynyrd Skynyrd song and Garrett McDonald sang a Tracy Chapman song and an original tune by her band “Ballistic Balinda.” Calvan Parker strummed the guitar, James Hedge tickled the keyboards and the remaining JTA students played percussion and were vocalists as backup for Minner and Criner.

“This is very valuable for all the students,” teacher Royanna LaHue said. “It helps them learn about music in an enjoyable way.”

Minner is an inductee in the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame. She was the bassist and singer with Blues legend D.C. Minner for 31 years. She won an international “Keeping the Blues Alive” award in education and has been featured in the Living Blues Magazine, Black Entertainment Network and on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

“Blues is the foundation of most American music,” she informed the Jefferson Elementary audience, who jumped and jived to the bodacious beat.

Blues originated in the Mississippi Delta following the Civil War. Its influence is African American and it’s a combination of field hollers, ballads, church music and what was called “jump-ups,” rhythmic dance music. The Blues found a home on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, where it expanded into a national craze during the 1920’s.

Minner also said that the performances develop certain skills in students, like confidence from performing in front of peers, working together as a group, learning the disciplines involved in creating music and basic performance skills.

“Performing in front of an audience is also the supreme exercise in building self-esteem,” LaHue said. “It’s very difficult to put yourself center stage.”

Besides funding from a grant through the Oklahoma Arts Council, JTA’s Dollar-A-Day (DAD) program furnished monies, Gateway to Prevention provided some of the instruments and First Baptist Church of Shawnee allowed the students to use their facilities for rehearsals. Pottawatomie County’s Redbud Arts Council introduced Minner to the area last summer at a meeting and concert to explain the Blues In The Schools program.

Painting of DC courtesy of OK Music Hall of Fame and KEITH BIRDSONG
Winners of the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive in Education, 1999 - (The Blues Foundation represents 105 blues societies from 27 countries)

KBA AWARD

OTHER B.I.T.S LINKS :
find us at the Blues Foundation:
www.blues.org/bluesed/bluesarticles.html, then scroll down to The Minner's Tale

Norman H S
also
FEE SUPPORT for non-profits, libraries, schools and towns thru OK Arts Council:
(when you get there, click on 'ROSTERS')

Oklahoma Arts Council

BITS (Blues in the Schools) HITS THE ROAD

D. C. and Selby Minner tour schools in HIGH SCHOOLS in Kansas City and ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS in the Davenport - Quad Cities Iowa Area 2000

November 2000 was a good and busy time for D. C. and his BITS program. He and Selby headed north with their drummer Daniel Williams for two weeks just before Thanksgiving. The MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BLUES SOCIETY has an extensive program of presenting Blues to schools - in it's tenth year - and it was exciting to get up there and be part of it. They have performers in the schools for a week every other month and one full month a year. They also host a highly respected Blues Festival on the banks of the Mississippi annually - some rate it third in the nation behind Chicago and Helena.

The DAVENPORT AREA kids were great, as always. Mostly elementary, first thru sixth grades. Rock Island Illinois Principal Mr. Osborne wrote us later that ours was "by far the best assembly we've ever had at Longfellow. You wouldn't believe the excitement you created by donating your 'gold and diamond' ring ....Again, thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for the Longfellow students.".

'So how does Blues in the Schools go?... What exactly do you do?'', you may well ask. Fair enough. Kids love the electric guitar. And they know this music, they just don't know it as Blues. D. C. asks them "Do you know anything about Blues or Rhythm and Blues?" They usually say "Noooo". We say "well - we think maybe you do!", and proceed to play Johnny B. Goode. The hands immediately go up -"Chuck Berry!!" We follow that with Stand By Me, My Girl, Lean On Me, Blue Suede Shoes, etc. They know all these songs. So D. C. tells them "I think we have a problem here - you said you didn't know any Blues, but you know all of these songs. I think we have a problem with labeling. What kind of music did you think this was before today?" The answers come back 'Rock', "Country".....So we give credit where credit is due, to the Blues and R & B.

With all this music the wiggling characteristic which is of every elementary school (!) announces they want to move around. So we tell them they can get up and dance as long as they stay right on that little spot in front of their seat.... We then break into a Blues version of Hokey Pokey or Itsy Bitsy Spider. Redoing their songs in a Blues style gives them a very clear idea of what we're talking about; it's fun for them also. They dance. Maybe then it's time for them to "get a chance to shout in school - would you like that?" "Yes" comes back across the room, I line out the words and we break into a resounding version of Hey, Hey, The Blues Are All Right. You can imagine 300 or more kids singing their heads off in a gym(!).

D. C. wears 12 rings on his right hand when he does a show. They are quite glittery, a fact not lost on kids who can be pretty materialistic. So he tells them "I have a bunch of grandkids, and before I left home to come up here they told me they needed shoes. They want some tennis shoes, and they want some good ones; they have to be worth at least $50." He goes on "I haven't got any money (always a snicker or laugh at this point) but I sure would like to trade a good pair of sneakers for one of these rings .... anybody want to trade?" Hands go up, shoes get waved in the air -- oh yes, they're ready for that! So then we talk about it a little while longer, and point out that maybe they need to look a little harder at the deal. We know the value of their shoes, maybe they need to find out what the rings are worth. "How much?" they ask. D points to one and says "Two dollars and fifty cents - but this one is worth more; I got it for $3.00!" Cries of "Fake " can be heard across the audience.. "No, not fake," D. C. says, "have you ever heard of a costume? You wear a costume at Halloween, don't you ...well, I don't wear this earring in my ear to the grocery store ...or all of these rings...this is my costume I wear onstage when I play." Finally he gets to the point that you have to be careful about strangers making deals that seem too good to be true. If they seem too good, they probably are. And to prove his point that these are not diamonds and gold rings, a student is chosen from the group to pick a ring off of D. C.'s hand, and take it to the principal. A gift to the school to be given later by the principal to some winning student; in a raffle or maybe a writing contest.

Before we go we always sing one slow Blues - usually The Blues Ain't Nothin' But A Good Girl Feelin Bad. We remind them that Europeans consider this music America's greatest contribution to world culture. Also that there would be no jazz or Rock as we know it today if the Blues hadn't come first. Lead guitar solos come from the Blues after all.

We met a lot of wonderful people in Iowa and Illinois. Thanks to Joe and Katherine, Denise, Jimmy and everyone!

KANSAS CITY

An exciting addition to the tour were the two stops in KANSAS CITY, coming and going. Joni Mayberry of the KC BLUES SOCIETY set up three performances. We jammed with the jazz band classes of Reggie Mays and Clarence Smith at the Schlagle and Paseo Arts High Schools. The Mayfield Towns Memorial Project (recently written up in the Blues Foundation's Newsletter) has had these kids performing at the KC Blues Festival and doing other things. Well - I'm happy to report that the Kansas City tradition of long jamming horn solos is in good hands. The kids were not timid about improvising, each taking several solos in turn. (Count Basie's band used to jam all night, many tunes taking 45 minutes!!) It was great; characterized as "magical" by Mr. Smith.

We also had a long and productive afternoon at the North KC Detention Center. D's quite a motivational speaker, with a lot of street experience. At risk kids are one of our favorite groups. They have the Blues, and they know it. They're usually pretty smart and creative too. Smart enough to know when they're bored, and creative enough to do something about ... just something 'outside of the box' of acceptance, is the only problem. So we speak of finding your passion in life...a way to express that creativity that will work for them and not against them. The full afternoon confirmed again my contention that teaching guitar in the normal school curriculum would catch some of these kids that are falling through the cracks of our educational system. Their teacher Brenda said she plays some guitar, and would try to put a class together when she saw their interest. Joni Mayberry said she would try to scrape up some guitars. They already let Blues Festival goers attend the show free if they show up with instruments to donate to BITS. Up till now they usually get horns.

Kansas City is a real Blues town, running over with talent. Jammed at the Paradox Club with D. C. Bellamy. Also at the Grand Emporium. Met Lady B - Brenda - who played flute, sang great Blues and is the sister of OKC's Bluesman James Walker. Wendy Neutzler - who helped us get Linda Shell here at Dusk 'til Dawn 3 years ago - interviewed us live and pushed our new CD MORNING TRAIN on her AM Blues show on KKFI. They feature over 40 hours of Blues programming a week - just imagine!! It was red carpet treatment all around. Our hats off to Joni Mayberry!

UPDATE Since this trip both DC Bellamy and Lady B have played the Dusk til Dawn Blues festival - both were highlights of the Fest.

UPDATE: scroll down and read about DC and Selby at Tahlequah High School in Feb, 2005

DC and Selby Minner have been doing Blues in the Schools (BITS) work since the 70's and have been on the roster of the Oklahoma Arts Council since 1990. Both as Touring Artists (fee supported Assemblies and Concerts) and Artists in Residence, a 20 hour / week program which puts kids onstage -in the band! Fun! New experiences build confidence and courage which cross over from music to any new thing they may later try.

Sadler Arts sings the blues!

Please call with questions
Selby (918) 473-2411
or email dcminner@lakewebs.net

  Our song list of 50 tunes from which the kids choose includes: Blues Suede Shoes, Dancing in the Streets, Lean On Me, Hey, Hey, The Blues Is All Right, Johnny B. Goode, Mustang Sally, Pretty Girls, Respect, Proud Mary, Rock Around the Clock, Stand By Me, Standing on Shaky Ground, Sweet Home Chicago, The Thrill Is Gone, Lets Do The Twist, We Are Family, Give Me One Reason To Stay Here, Hokey Pokey, Itsy Bitsy Spider.....

Press of interest...
Two articles on our work in ALTERNATIVE ED schools

Locust Grove Learning Center

     INTEREST IN THE ARTS      KEEPS KIDS IN SCHOOL
   by Cody Bannister, printed in the          Ardmoreite, May 1 1998

      With only three day's rehearsal under their belts, students at the Take Two Academy (Ardmore OK) took the stage with blues musicians D. C. and Selby Minner as they sang, danced and played percussion alongside the blues band.
      "These kids will work hard for something they want to do," said D. C. guitarist and leader of Blues On The Move. "I tell them play equals fun, so when you play and instrument, you're supposed to be having fun."
   The Minners travel the country from California to Martha's Vineyard, putting on shows with the help of school students. They use music as a teaching method. Math is used to keep the beat, Reading and English in the lyrics, and physics in the sound waves.
   According to Bob Haynes, director of alternative education, alternative academies require one arts and education project pre year. Last year the school put on a play. This year it went for something different.
   "Lots of youngsters labeled 'at risk' are interested in the arts, whether it be drawing, poetry or music," Haynes said. "This is and attempt for children to perform who might not have qualified for it in other schools."
   Haynes said students in the Take Two program were often left out of school functions because of discipline problems. ...
   "There are two things musicians look for -- wealth and immortality." D.C. Said. "I've been playing music for 45 years and haven't got rich yet. Now I'm trying to cash in on immortality by getting kids focused on music. If any of these kids get started in blues, they will remember that old black man who came to the school and showed them how it was done, and I'll be alive as long as they remember me."

The music works it's magic at Dusk til Dawn Blues Fest

FAVER SINGS THE BLUES: ARTISTS SHARE SOUNDS, HISTORY W STUDENTS
by Lola Taylor, Guthrie News Leader

Guthrie student Jennie Stewart stood on the tips of her toes, strained her neck, and still her mouth could not reach the microphone. She tried to find a different angle, coming around the side of the microphone in an attempt to find just a bit of amplification. No luck.
   The introductory music reached it's crescendo. The first verse was upon her. She closed her eyes, threw back her head and did the only thing she knew how. She belted out "Proud Mary" from the depths of her soul, wailing as if she deserved the title "Miss Blues".
   Expecting a muffled, inaudible sort of whimper, the crowd immediately quieted to listed to unexpected talent.
   Admittedly, Stewart is an amatuer blues artist, trading secrets with Faver students who have dabbled in the trade for merely days. But she's talented and spunky, an attribute that delighted D. C. and Selby Minner, her mentors for the week.
   It is titled 'Blues in the Schools', the Minner are touring the state in order to educate and introduce students to 'America's First Art Form' (sic: 'A music Europeans recognize as America's greatest contribution to world culture'')
   The Minner's project is entering it's second year at Faver where they returned to teach their craft to students ready and yearning for musical guidance and itching to strum and sing.
   Performing since Tuesday for the students, the Minners have attempted to introduce the finer points of blues, if not by instruction at least by osmosis.
   When not dazed by sheer talent or deafened by the echoing electrical guitar, Faver students learned of history, legends, inside jokes, the source of 'original' tracks, and about 'faking it'.
   And, if they really listened, beyond D.C.'s good natured wisecracks and the muffle of whispering peers, they got a philosophical lesson on life.
   "To be good at anything, you have to practice and practice. It's like that in anything you do," D.C. said into a microphone that didn't seem to amplify.
   D.C. played in the corner the entire week with a slouching hat that seemed to beg for a darkened smoky lounge and the company of soulful artists
   The corners of his mouth curled in a smile as he plucked the electric guitar. He was truly happy; happy to play and happy to accompany the amateur yet inspiring voices of Guthrie students testing their talent and octave range.
   He was known to offer advice, stopping the music entirely at one point to offer constructive criticism.
   "You're too flat," he said.
   "You've got to do something with your voice. Listen to the rhythm and the beat, and then start singin'," he said.
   He didn't want perfection, only a distinguishable rhythm and students willing to try despite the inevitable squeak, squeal or twang.
There was one contingency, however. For the Friday performance, participating students had to choose a blues selection.
   "No Snoop Doggie Dog. I'm not playing anything that barks," he said.
   There were giggles, no groans from the crowd.
   For the next two days, students wrestled with lyrics, laughed, learned from mistakes and turned to the Minner's for any last minute advice.
   And then there it was, spoken magically between "Born to be Wild" and "Rockin' Robin" - the cardinal sin of music.
   If concentrating upon the jingling tambourines it was easily missed, but for those leaning in and reading lips, it was decipherable.
   "Never stop in the middle of the song. It's the absolute worst thing you can do." D.C. said. "Whatever you think is a mess-up, may not even be detectable by the audience. So whatever you do, keep playing."
   Relying on professional instruction and natural talent, the students braved the bare stage of Faver School
   "I'm not nervous at all," said Faver student Johanna Rowley."I just want to get out there. It's just fun, no pressure."
   DeVean Thomas shared Rowley's calm. "I've been singing all my life. This is what I've wanted to do ever since I was a little kid," Thomas said
   With passion and confidence, the group stretched their vocal chords for a small but energetic crowd.
   And when the concert ended and the auditorium emptied, a few lingered, posing as cleanup crew for a spotless stage - perhaps secretly hoping the music would once again play.